Epicenter 2.0

by Joel C. Rosenberg

  Dr. Arno Gaebelein argued in his 1918 book The Prophet Ezekiel that “valuable information is given in the Talmud; Gomer is there stated to be the Germani, the Germans. That the descendents of Gomer moved northward and established themselves in parts of Germany seems to be an established fact.” Bible scholars today seem to agree that Gomer probably refers either to Turkey or to Germany.193

  Beth-togarmah

  The word in Hebrew means “the House of Togarmah.” Josephus identified the people of Togarmah as “the Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named Phrygians.”194 Phrygia was a western kingdom in Asia Minor—what we now call modern-day Turkey—from around 1200 to 600 BC. The apostle Paul “traveled through the area of Phyrgia and Galatia” in Turkey on his second missionary journey, according to Acts 16:6. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the people of Armenia were originally from Phrygia before they crossed into the territory we now call Armenia—the area of the Caucusus, eastern Anatolia, and southern Russia—around 700 BC.195 Thus, Bible scholars generally believe that Beth-togarmah refers to the people of Turkey and Armenia and the Turkic-speaking peoples who spread out over time across central Asia, including those in modern-day countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.196

  Other Allies

  Beyond the countries mentioned specifically, Ezekiel indicates there will be other allies. In Ezekiel 38:2, for example, the prophet cites Magog, which as we discovered earlier is not limited to Russia alone but includes territories where the Scythians spread out over time, namely the former republics of the Soviet Union, particularly those in central Asia.

  In Ezekiel 38:6, after explaining that Gomer and Beth-togarmah are part of the Russian-Iranian coalition, the prophet adds that “many others” will be part of the coalition as well. This could simply mean that many troops will amass for the War of Gog and Magog against Israel. It could mean that other specific countries besides the ones already mentioned will join in the attack against Israel. Or it could also mean that the armed forces of the nations that have been mentioned will be comprised of multiple ethnicities (which is currently the case with the former Soviet republics).

  In Ezekiel 38:13, the prophet refers to “Sheba” and “Dedan” and the “merchants of Tarshish” with “all its villages” (NASB) or all its “young lions” (KJV). It is widely agreed among Bible scholars that Sheba and Dedan refer to the peoples of the Arabian peninsula, including modern-day Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman, and the Gulf countries of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.197

  Tarshish, meanwhile, was the region encompassing what we now call southern Spain, but the term was also used in ancient times to describe the westernmost part of human civilization. Thus, many Bible scholars believe “the merchants of Tarshish” and its “villages” and “young lions” refer to the market-based economies of western Europe and perhaps even the United States. Clearly, the U.S. and most European nations are not going to attack Israel, and in the passage they are not described as part of the Russian-Iranian coalition but as questioning the motives and objectives of that coalition. Whether the Arab countries of the Gulf will actively participate in the Russian-Iranian alliance or tacitly approve it or remain neutral with the Western powers is simply not clear from the passage.

  Finally, Ezekiel 38:8 says this coalition will be gathered from many nations “to the mountains of Israel.” Ezekiel 39:2 also says the coalition will drive “toward the mountains of Israel.” Ezekiel 39:4 says these forces will “die on the mountains.” The mountains of Israel are mainly located on the country’s northern borders with modern-day Syria, Lebanon, and northern Jordan (notably the strategically important Golan Heights). Since the Russian-Iranian coalition is described by the prophet as coming primarily from the north, it is reasonable to conclude that Syria and Lebanon are participants in the coalition. Jordan may be as well, though this is not entirely clear.

  The Coalition against Israel

  In summary, Ezekiel describes a series of specific nations that will form a future anti-Israel coalition. Russia is described as the leader of this newly constituted Axis of Evil. Iran is mentioned first among equals. Nearly all of Russia’s and Iran’s allies described by Ezekiel are nations that today are either predominantly Islamic or have high percentages of Muslim citizens. It is not clear if all of the former Soviet republics will participate, but it is likely that a significant number of them will, particularly those in central Asia since they are covered by both the Magog and Beth-togarmah citations. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are mentioned in the prophecy but, again, it is not clear if they are participants or simply observers. Notably missing from the list are any direct references to Egypt or Iraq.

  THE COALITION AGAINST ISRAEL

  ANCIENT NATIONSMODERN NATIONS

  Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal Russia and the former Soviet republics

  Persia Iran

  Cush Sudan, Ethiopia, and possibly Eritrea

  Put Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia

  Gomer Turkey and possibly Germany and Austria

  Beth-togarmah Turkey, Armenia, and the Turkic-speaking peoples of Asia Minor and central Asia

  Countries with mountainous borders with Israel Syria, Lebanon, and northern Jordan

  Many peoples with you Possible additional Islamic allies

  [Sheba and Dedan] [Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the Gulf states]

  ECHOES OF MODERN ANTI-ISRAEL ALLIANCES

  Now that we have examined the intelligence provided by Ezekiel, let us briefly consider recent Arab-Israeli wars as well as the current state of the Middle East conflict to get a better sense of how soon this prophecy could come to fulfillment.

  “We Israelis have a history of facing overwhelming odds against us,” former Israeli UN ambassador Dore Gold once told me. Indeed they do. For example, on the very day Israel declared independence, May 14, 1948, forces from seven Arab armies—Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen—attacked the fledgling Jewish state from the north, south, and east.

  The 1948 war thus offered echoes of the coming War of Gog and Magog. But it could not have been the war Ezekiel foretold. Neither Russia nor Iran participated in that war, nor did other coalition members specifically cited by Ezekiel. To the contrary, Moscow formally recognized the State of Israel in its earliest days. Also, Egypt and Iraq fought against Israel in 1948, while Ezekiel never said they would be involved.

  The Six Days’ War of June 1967 provided another prototype of the War of Gog and Magog. Israel was again surrounded by hostile Arab and Islamic forces and once again won a tremendous victory, in this case winning back the biblical lands of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), the ancient Philistine territory of the Gaza Strip, and the strategically critical “mountains of Israel” to the north (the Golan Heights). Israel also reunified the holy city of Jerusalem.

  But the Six Days’ War could not have been the War of Gog and Magog, for while the Soviets that time provided arms, training, intelligence, and other support to their Arab clients, they did not directly participate in the war against Israel. Nor did Iran or other coalition members specifically mentioned by Ezekiel. Egypt and Iraq, meanwhile, took leading roles, contrary to the scenario laid out in the prophecy.

  In many ways, the Yom Kippur War of October 1973 was even closer to Ezekiel’s prophecy, though it, too, bears crucial differences. Israel again found herself surrounded by an enemy coalition, led by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. Other nations played important roles as well. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, and Pakistan assisted with varying degrees of financial aid, ground forces, combat pilots, and military equipment. Even Cuba and Uganda sent forces to help defeat the Israelis. Israel won a surprising, against-the-odds victory. But again, while the Soviets were major sponsors of the anti-Israel coalition, they did not send forces. Nor did other Ezekiel-specific countries such as Iran and Turkey. Egypt and Iraq, however, again played key roles.

>   What is most significant about the Yom Kippur War vis-à-vis Ezekiel’s prophecy is that it set into motion a peace process that has neutralized Egypt as a direct combatant against Israel. Convinced that the Soviets were not a reliable ally and that Egypt could never win the Sinai Peninsula back through military means, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat finally decided to bring the conflict to an end through negotiations. He made a historic visit to Jerusalem, spoke directly to the Israeli people and before the Israeli parliament, and ultimately signed a peace treaty with Israel known as the Camp David Accords.

  As I’ve pointed out, Egypt’s involvement in these previous conflicts is one of the main reasons none of them could have been the war predicted by Ezekiel. But the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel actually brings the War of Gog and Magog scenario an important step closer to being fulfilled.

  However, no such peace process ensued with Syria, Israel’s prime enemy to the north. Thus, “the mountains of Israel” known as the Golan Heights remain hotly disputed land and will eventually become ground zero in the War of Gog and Magog.

  PUTIN’S ISLAMIC INITIATIVE

  Based on Ezekiel’s intelligence, we should expect Russian influence throughout the Islamic world to increase dramatically as the time of the War of Gog and Magog approaches. And that is precisely what is happening.

  As Vladimir Putin got himself settled into office in 2000, rebuilding Russia’s tattered alliances in the Middle East became an increasingly top priority. In August of that year, Putin welcomed Yasser Arafat to Moscow, fresh from Arafat’s visit to Tehran. Arafat pointedly asked Putin to get Russia more actively and aggressively involved in the Middle East than either Gorbachev or Yeltsin had. Putin, noting that he had been following the regional peace talks “very closely,” agreed.198

  By the spring of the following year, Putin had welcomed Iranian president Mohammed Khatami to Moscow—the first visit by an Iranian leader since the Islamic Revolution of 1979—to discuss increasing arms sales, nuclear cooperation, and other trade deals.199

  And then, as if he were working his way down Ezekiel’s list, Putin expanded what I call his Islamic Initiative well beyond Iran.

  In December 2001, the Russian leader welcomed Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi to the Kremlin and signed the first major treaty between Moscow and Addis Ababa. Putin agreed to sell Ethiopia more Russian arms, including fighter jets and other combat aircraft as well as transport helicopters. Putin also agreed that year to write off $5 billion in debt that Ethiopia owed the Soviet Union in return for new trade deals and the opportunity for Russian petroleum companies to develop oil and gas fields in the African country.200

  In September 2003, Putin welcomed Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to Moscow. It was the first visit of such a high-ranking Saudi leader since 1932, and given that the Saudis had channeled billions of dollars to the mujahedin of Afghanistan to defeat the Soviets after their 1979 invasion—and that the U.S. still had military bases in the Saudi kingdom at the time—the meetings were historic. The two countries signed new trade deals and discussed regional security and future arms deals. “Russia occupies a special position in our interests and hearts as it was the first country to recognize the new Saudi state [in 1926],” the crown prince said.

  Putin responded, “We view the Arab and Islamic world through the greater part of modern history in their being our closest partners and associates.”201

  In October 2003, Putin traveled to Malaysia to address the Organization of the Islamic Conference and to call on the OIC to accept Russia as a member, given that about one in seven Russian citizens (about 20 million people) are Muslims. “For centuries, Russia as a Eurasian country has been intertwined with the Islamic world,” Putin told the gathering. “The last decade was a time of revival of the spiritual life of Russia’s Muslims.”

  He noted that in 1991, Russia had only 870 mosques while today there are more than 7,000 and added that “Russia is also actively developing contacts with the majority of the states represented in this hall, essentially keeping up the long-standing, mutually beneficial traditions of cooperation and profound respect for each other.”

  The move was widely praised throughout the Middle East. It did, in fact, open numerous doors for Putin to build new relationships and alliances, and Russia was accepted into the OIC with “observer status.”202

  In October 2004, Putin accepted Iran’s invitation to visit Tehran, further signaling the seriousness of the emerging Russian-Iranian alliance. “We do not have a concrete date for a visit by the president to Iran, but there is a firm agreement with the Iranian side that this visit will take place in the foreseeable future,” Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Alekseyev told reporters.203

  In September 2004, while I was in Moscow, Putin was scheduled to visit Turkey but had to postpone the trip due to the terrorist attack on the elementary school in Beslan. When the trip eventually took place that December, it was understandably big news in both countries. Putin, after all, was the first Russian leader to ever visit modern Turkey, a longtime regional rival and still a member of the NATO alliance. In Ankara, Putin discussed ways to build economic and security ties and sell Turkey more Russian oil and gas. “Russia and Turkey are moving toward cooperation and the flourishing it will bring with it,” Putin said.204

  In February 2005, Putin sent Russian troops to Sudan. The expressed purpose was to support “peacekeeping” efforts, but Russia had been arming the radical Islamic regime in Khartoum for years, as had the Iranians.205

  In April 2005, Putin became the first Russian leader in more than forty years to visit Egypt. He not only met with President Hosni Mubarak but also visited the headquarters of the Arab League. There he held talks with Secretary-General Amr Musa and addressed the permanent representatives of Arab countries in what Aljazeera called “Russia’s wider bid to restore its Soviet-era influence in the Middle East.”206

  On that same April 2005 trip, Putin became the first leader of Russia or the Soviet Union ever to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority. He met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other top Israeli officials. In the West Bank town of Ramallah, Putin met with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. He defended recent Russian missile sales to Syria and nuclear cooperation with Iran, laid a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat, and pledged to sell new arms to the Palestinians.207

  In January 2006, Putin extended an invitation to the newly elected Hamas leadership to visit Moscow for high-level talks and again offered to sell the Palestinians new arms. What’s more, during a trip to Spain, Putin explained that he did not see Hamas as a terrorist organization and said he viewed the Hamas electoral victory as “a big setback, an important setback for American efforts in the Middle East, a very serious setback,” using the word setback three times and almost appearing to relish the development.208

  It should be noted that Putin made these moves despite international efforts to isolate Hamas diplomatically and to cut off the group’s funding until it renounces violence and accepts Israel’s right to exist. Several days after Putin made the invitation, Hamas leader Khaled Mash’al delivered a sermon at a mosque in Damascus, directly threatening the national security of the United States, the European Union, and Israel. Yet Putin did not back off. Instead, the Kremlin welcomed Hamas leaders to Moscow several weeks later.209

  On and on it goes. Every week, it seems, new headlines appear with fresh evidence of Putin’s Islamic Initiative, along with evidence that Iran is simultaneously building alliances with many of these same countries.

  PARTNERS IN TRADE, TURKEY AND RUSSIA EYE CLOSER DEFENSE COOPERATION

  Turkish Daily News, December 8, 2004

  ETHIOPIA HAS SAVED UP MONEY FOR RUSSIAN ARMS

  Kommersant, January 13, 2005

  RUSSIA SAYS IT’S READY TO ARM SAUDI ARABIA

  Moscow Times, February 10, 2005

  RUSSIANS TO SELL MISSILES TO SYRIA

  London Telegrap
h, February 17, 2005

  LIBYA AND ALGERIA READY TO BUY RUSSIAN ARMS IF RUSSIA WRITES OFF DEBTS

  MosNews.com, February 17, 2005

  IRANIAN PRESIDENT CEMENTS SYRIAN ALLIANCE

  Associated Press, January 19, 2006

  IRAN, TURKEY INK SECURITY AGREEMENT

  Islamic Republic News Agency (Iran), February 22, 2006

  In March 2006, Putin became the first Russian leader since the collapse of the Soviet Union to visit Algeria. There he signed a $7.5 billion deal to sell arms to the North African nation, a deal that one Russian military analyst called “the biggest military contract signed by post-Soviet Russia.”210

  Putin also addressed a conference in Moscow called “Strategic Outlook: Russia and the Islamic World,” where he urged “close cooperation” and said “pooling our efforts” with the Muslims of the Middle East would be a top Russian priority.211

  WHAT IT MEANS

  There is no question at this point that Putin has concluded it is in Russia’s vital interests to build a political, military, and economic alliance with the Arab and Islamic world, regardless of the risks such an alliance poses to Moscow’s relationship with Washington, London, or Brussels. The main question is how quickly such an alliance will turn against Israel.

  Whether he realizes the prophetic implications of his actions or not, Putin has clearly embarked upon an aggressive and systematic effort to build new alliances with countries specifically cited in Ezekiel 38–39, as well as with those countries that could be involved in the War of Gog and Magog but are not clearly defined in the text. And the clock is ticking.